An Argonaute’s voyage to cancer

Mutations in the KRAS gene, which codes for a protein involved in normal cell signaling, promote the development of colorectal and other cancers.

One mechanism by which activated KRAS may influence the phenotype of neighboring cells is by regulating the packaging of tiny RNAs called microRNAs (miRNAs) in small, bubble-like vesicles called exosomes.

When delivered to surrounding cells, miRNAs can affect the translation of messenger RNA in ways that promote or inhibit cancer growth and metastasis.

Vanderbilt University researchers have found a potential clue to how this is done through spatiotemporal regulation of Argonaute 2 (Ago2), a component of the RNA-induced silencing complex that can degrade messenger RNA.